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Kemp mans center field in second rehab game

Kemp mans center field in second rehab game

7/21/13: Matt Kemp is forced to leave the game with a leg injury after sliding into home plate on a forceout in the ninth inning

By Ken Gurnick and Austin Laymance
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MLB.com |

LOS ANGELES -- Matt Kemp played seven innings in center field on Friday in his second Minor League rehab game with Class A Rancho Cucamonga, his biggest test yet for a sprained left ankle that has kept him on the disabled list for five weeks.

Kemp made a running catch in the field and started a relay to record an out at the plate. He went 0-for-3, striking out twice and grounding to third.

Kemp started his rehab assignment on Thursday, getting five at-bats with the Quakes in his first game since he injured his ankle July 21 in Washington. Kemp hit three balls hard, but finished 0-for-5 with a strikeout.

"It sounds like he felt good, physically, that's probably the most important thing," Mattingly said after Thursday's game. "He's getting his timing back a little bit. He looked OK."

Kemp likely will play a third rehab game with Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday. If all goes well, the Dodgers could activate the outfielder as early as Sunday, when rosters expand.

"It's always tough to tell how much time somebody needs," said Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti. "I'm glad he's getting some at-bats before he faces live pitching at the big league level."

Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. Austin Laymance is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.